GAME REPORT

Bombs Away As VICI Downs Gala

VICI Aistes believe they have what to takes to reach the next stage of the EuroLeague Women and they're starting to make other teams believe in their chances, too.

The Kaunas club claimed a second straight victory and third on the season with a 91-86 Group C home triumph over the rollercoaster team that is Galatasaray Medical Park.

Just one week after knocking off four-time defending champions Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje in Istanbul, Gala fell to VICI Aistes - a team they were favored to beat.

Both sides are now 3-5.

Without veteran shooting guard Ausra Bimbaite, who had a knee operation on Tuesday and has been lost for at least a month, VICI Aistes pulled together and shot the lights out from long range for the second week in a row.

The hosts made 14 of 30 shots from behind the arc, with Canada international Courtnay Pilypaitis and Vita Kuktiene each making five.

Last week in the upset of Halcon Avenida, VICI Aistes made 15 of 30 shots from behind the arc.

Pilypaitis and Kuktiene had combined to hit seven of those.

The biggest three to go down on Wednesday came from Pilypaitis with 31 seconds to go.

Isil Alben had just scored to cut the VICI Aistes lead to 86-84 when the former Vermont star connected from long range to reach a career-high 20 points in the EuroLeague women.

The shot took the wind out of the sails of Galatasaray, who had trailed by 13 points in the second half but clawed their way back.

Fowles, 25, only had four rebounds in 36 minutes, far below her season average of 9.6 per game.

COACH QUOTES

Quotes VICI Aistes vs. Galatasaray MP

Ceyhyn Yildizoglu, Galatasaray coach:"Congratulations to VICI-Aistes, they played really good. The played good pick and roll offense, also good motion offense. They were hitting three pointers all the time. We came back but could not win the game. Next game is at home, we will try to get the victory."

Gintarė Petronytė, Galatasaray:"We did not stop their three pointers. They deserved the victory because they played really well. We knew they hit three pointers well but could not stop them anyway. We do not play well on the road."

Mantas Šernius, coach VICI Aistes:"We started the game with a good tempo. We had two goals before the game - to stop Sylvia Fowles and their fast breaks. We didn't do a good job in the first half but in the second everything worked better and that was the key to our victory."

Vita Kuktiene, VICI Aistes:"We tried our best, we were helping each other. We wanted to be in a good mood before Christmas break and we achieved that."